Page 21 of Red Velvet

Heat radiates from her body, and I'm sure it's not all due to the wine she's had. Her chest heaves under deep breaths, her fingers tensing around the wineglass. But she doesn't shy away from me, or seem bothered by being this close to me. On the contrary, I can feel her swaying toward me.

"Yes," she breathes. "We could try—"

I silence her by placing my finger on her painted lips and she casts me a confused look.

"Sure, that's one way," I tell her, shaking my head. "But I was thinking of something else."

Defeat flutters across her face, followed by a crease between her eyebrows. I offer a mischievous smile before continuing.

"Just listen to me."

I lean in even closer, almost hovering above her as I place my mouth right next to her ear. Her lips are trembling as she awaits my words, her fingers curling in her lap, trying to hold on to the dark fabric that stretches around her waist.

"Close your eyes."

We exchange one last reassuring look before she follows my command, shielding her curious gaze with fluttering eyelids.

"Remember what it felt like when my hand closed around your throat, when I squeezed, when I threatened to choke you. When you had no control over what would happen next, that moment when you were at my mercy," I whisper, enunciating every syllable. "Now imagine what else that hand is capable of. Imagine what it would be like to feel that same hand burn on your skin, leaving red marks as I take you like I mean it. Rough, ruthless, bringing you closer to that space you crave."

Her breathing has turned erratic, jolting her slim body. Her eyes are moving rapidly beneath her lids as if they were chasing a wild butterfly, bouncing from one side to the other with no way to run. I can tell that something inside her wants to run, that she wants to open her eyes and feel safe again, casting me an indignant look before she tells me off.

But she does no such thing. She just sits there, her back straight, her chest heaving—and her hard nipples poking through the thin layer of her dress.

She doesn't flinch when I place my hand on her thigh, testing, waiting, observing before I move on, slowly sliding up to her core. A faint gasp, barely audible, hisses through her parted lips when my hand disappears beneath the hem of her dress.

Her legs part on their own. I don't have to tell her.

"Just imagine," I continue, my fingers caressing the soft skin on her naked inner thigh. "That choking, that was nothing. Imagine what real confinement could feel like, what it would be like to be tied up, cuffed, powerless and at the mercy of my will. Your senses heightened, your skin prickling, your mind screaming at the pain, but your body still wants more."

A sigh equal to a moan fills the air between us when I reach her center, pausing for a moment before my fingertips meet her soft lips. I let another moment pass, watching the beautiful sight of her heaving beneath my touch, before I gently spread her lips with two fingers, letting another slide between them.

I knew it.

She's dripping wet.

Chapter 12

Lila

I'm so terribly embarrassed.

And so turned on.

I can feel his eyes on my ass as we climb the stairs, a stare so intense that it almost feels like a touch. Darkness greats us as we reach the upper floor and I squint, trying to see more than vague outlines while he comes to a halt next to me. He stands so close that our arms touch, mine naked while his is covered with the heavy fabric of his suit jacket. I wish he was wearing as little as I am. I feel so exposed next to him, so little and defenseless.

A loud inhale speaks of my surprise when he puts his arm around my shoulders, squeezing gently before he pushes me forward. We only take three steps before we come to another halt in front of a fork. The floor splits into several hallways leading away from the stairs, each of them lined with velvet curtains. I can't see any doors, but there are little lightbulbs along the way, attached to the ceiling in consistent intervals. Most of the lights are switched on, gleaming in different colors: white, blue and red.

Kade moves his hand down my back, placing it just above my ass when he gives me a gentle push forward.

"Red light on the left, far end," he whispers as we walk down the corridor.

The heavy curtains barely move as we walk past them, and while I still can’t see any doors behind them, I hear voices coming from behind one of the curtains, right beneath a bulb that’s switched off.

Someone is whispering.

Followed by moaning.

I slow down without realizing it, swaying toward the noises coming from my right. Kade lets me listen for just a second before he pushes me to keep moving.

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